Lesson 3

Beehive

The Sound of Music

ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

CLASS IX
SECTIONS: H, J
TEACHER: MRS. RIZVI
Part I Lesson Summary
Part I throws light on Evelyn’s life and struggles to become a successful musician. She is a
multi-percussionist and has the talent to play hundreds of instruments perfectly. It tells how she
gained international recognition.

What’s interesting is the Evelyn is profoundly deaf. The musician learned to listen to music
through her body and not ears. She does not hear music, she feels it. She was 11 years old when
she found out she had trouble hearing. Nonetheless, that did not stop her from pursuing her
career in music.

Thus, her teacher, Ron Forbes was the one to recognize her talent. He unlocked doors to her
potential and helped her achieve the impossible. She is now one of the most renowned names in
the music industry. She has many accolades and awards to her name and serves as a great
inspiration to the specially-abled community.
Question and Answers Part I
• Q.1 How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer: Evelyn hears music through her whole body. In fact she just feels the
music. She tries to feel the vibrations which create sound. While playing drums
she uses her upper and lower body to feel vibrations from different types of
drums. While playing xylophone she feels the music pulsating through her fingers.
When she has to perform on wooden floors, she removes her shoes. This enables
her to feel the vibrations through her bare feet. She even feels the music through
her hair.
Part II Lesson Summary
It was Bismillah Khan who popularized this instrument and took it to the world
stage. He broke the myth of shehnai not being capable to create independent tunes. He
came from a family of musicians. Further, Bismillah Khan had a very secular
upbringing. He grew up practising on the banks of River Ganga. He went to the mosque
as well as the temple. After achieving immense success, he was awarded various titles.
He is also a recipient of the highest civilian award of India- The Bharat Ratna.
In addition to that, he has won all three awards of Padma Bhushan, Padmashree and
Padma Vibhushan. Interestingly, he was the first person to be invited to play shehnai at
the Red Fort in 1947, while greeting Independent India. Most importantly, he
represented India on the international stage as well. An auditorium in Tehran is also by
his name. Moreover, despite many opportunities, Bismillah Khan never left his home-
town Varanasi. He dedicated his life to music and passed away in 2006.
Question and Answers Part II
• Q.6 Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer: Bismillah Khan was in love with Benares and the Ganges flowing there.
He used to get inspiration from the ambience of numerous ghats in Varanasi. He
knew that he won’t be able to get that ambience in the USA. So, he refused to start
a shehnai school in the USA.